Dec 13, 2011

Global March

عربي تحت

With some other activist Palestinian friends, I took two days to go to Amman to attend a conference for the Global March to Jerusalem*. We met great people from around the world including Palestinians in exile. But every time we leave Palestine even for a very short time we feel like a fish out of the water.We missed the funeral of Mustapha Tamimi, murdered with a tear-gas canister at a demonstration in Nabi Saleh**.We missed the notice given yesterday of the demolition of a home in Beit Jala (near my village) and thus the actual demolition this morning. We missed the fact that the Israeli army came to my friend's house Saher Alsouse again last night demanding he appear for an investigation [he had been there before and left when he was not called in the room for investigation leaving them his phone number]. And more attacks on Gaza happened killing innocent civilians includingamother and her child and a husband and his wife. It is frustrating sometimes to witness these injustice all around us (either in person or distantly) and yet see so much apathy from so many people.

Politicians including Palestinain and European politicians from the left and the right may talk nice.Other politicians may talk nonsense as in eth case of Mr. Newt Gingerich saying that 11 million Palestinains including me are an "invented people" and "terrorists".Yet actions speak much louder than words. Israeli actions on the ground should not be met by mere wordfs or symbolic protestations.There are groups in Palestine and abroad working on real activities.It is important in my humble opinion to support these existing activities (e.g. the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh) and/or to create other activities that challenge the repression.The most immediate other activities we have are around the Christmas holiday season.Activists in the Bethlehem area, the birthplace of Jesus, are planning a number of functions including functions that challenge the occupation and others that educate tourists.They need support, there is a meeting Wednesday(tomorrow) at 5:30 PM in Beit Sahour and all those willing to contribute are invited and encouraged to attend by contacting info@palestinejn.org for details.

About Me

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh teaches and does research at Bethlehem University (BU) and directs the BU's cytogenetics laboratory and the Palestine Museum of Natural History and Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability in occupied Palestine. He also taught at Birzeit and Al-Quds Universities. He is author of "Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle", “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment”, "Mammals of the Holy Land", and "The Bats of Egypt." He formerly served on the board of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People in Beit Sahour and Al-Rowwad Cultural and Theatre Society at Aida Refugee Camp.